Baby steps towards final for Granqvist

ANDREAS GRANQVIST is hoping to set up a World Cup quarter-final with England by shooting down Switzerland – but the Sweden captain may have to fly home for the birth of his second child at any moment.

Granqvist’s wife Sophie is due to give birth today but the former Wigan defender says he is hoping to avoid missing any matches.

“My wife is doing great, and there have been no changes so far. I’m fully focused on the game and my wife is very strong,” he said. Manager Janne Andersson has not ruled out allowing Granqvist to go home, but is banking on his captain, who scored twice as Sweden won Group F while Germany finished bottom. “It is something we will deal with when we get there,” he said.

Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka says he will not be provoked into picking up a red card, as Swedish defender Mikael Lustig has predicted.

Lustig said his side’s game plan involves winding up Xhaka, who has been called the dirtiest player in the Premier League by the Swedish media. Xhaka has collected nine red cards and 59 yellows over the past five years with Borussia Monchengladbach and Arsenal, but says he has cleaned up his act, having not seen red for almost 18 months. He said: “It’s no problem for me. It’s all part of the pre-match provocations. I’ve learned quite a few things and I’m confident I won’t be squeezed out of the game. I will stay all the way to the end.”